Two triathlons compete for Key

Organizers of the Revolution3 “Rev3” Triathlon hope to attract 1,000 triathletes to their inaugural Florida event. The company, which has nine triathlons in the U.S. and Costa Rica scheduled for 2012, worked with the city of Sarasota and Sarasota County so that the athletes can swim and run throughout Lido Key and mainland Sarasota. But that vision also includes a 56-mile bicycle course that would bring athletes up and down Longboat Key — twice — to compete for a prize package that could total $75,000 and include a feature on CBS. The race would ideally take place Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, with Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, as the company’s second choice.

“The last piece of the puzzle in order for us to make this a reality is to get the approval of Longboat Key,” said Eric Opdyke, race director for Rev3, speaking to the Longboat Key Town Commission at its Nov. 7 meeting.

But the Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce began promoting Oct. 28, 2012, as the date for the third annual Longboat Key Triathlon at this year’s race, which was held Oct. 16. And Chamber President Tom Aposporos said that having the event on the same day — or even the same week — of the chamber’s event could be detrimental.

“It is difficult to see an event of this size not impacting us or invalidating us if they choose to have this on the same day as our own,” Aposporos said.

Jason Puckett, director of sports for Sarasota County Sports Commission, a division of the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau, who has worked with Rev3 to bring the event to the area, pointed out that the Longboat Key Triathlon typically takes place on the third Sunday in October. Puckett said that Rev3 would be willing to promote the Longboat Key Triathlon on its website, rev3tri.com, which receives approximately 350,000 views per month.

Opdyke said that similar events have a $1 million economic impact on their communities and estimated that the local race would bring 1,500 hotel room night bookings to the area.

Puckett said that the event would draw participants from outside the driving-distance area.

“Something with other events is people drive in, they participate in the race, and they drive home,” said Puckett, who emphasized the demographic characteristics of triathletes who make them a desirable group to bring to the area. “Their dollars don’t necessarily stay in Longboat Key or in Sarasota County.”

Aposporos said Tuesday that the Longboat Key Triathlon offers similar benefits.

“Theirs is an event that attracts professional triathletes from 40 states and seven countries,” Aposporos said. “This year, we had people from 12 states and the District of Colombia.”

The chamber’s event also has a lesser impact on Gulf of Mexico Drive and surrounding areas, with athletes on the course approximately two hours, compared to the approximately four hours that Rev3 athletes would spend cycling down the Key.

Opdyke told the Longboat Observer that his company would be willing to hold its event Nov. 4, if the chamber would hold its event Oct. 21, putting two weeks between the events.

At Monday’s meeting, Interim Town Manager David Bullock told the commission that it wasn’t the town’s role to choose between competing events. Bullock plans to meet with organizers this week, and the commission agreed to discuss Rev3’s plans at its Nov. 17 workshop.